The commitment and work by the defence force to reduce the stress and impact of military service on families has been called into question at the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide.
At a hearing in Adelaide on Friday, the commission was told many of the issues faced by service families in the present day were identified by a review in 1986.
Major General Wade Stothart, head of military personnel, conceded the Australian Defence Force was still grappling with a number of those problems.
These include stresses that led to domestic and family violence and mental health concerns and the need to provide better support in areas such as housing, education and childcare.
However, Maj Gen Stothart said he remained optimistic the defence force would get to a "better place".
"I do think we have fundamentally already shifted our approach," he said.
"We have an opportunity with this royal commission and other reforms that are ongoing to really embed those."
Commissioner Peggy Brown said she didn't share that view.
"It's been 37 years since that report. I have to say I don't feel optimistic based on what I've heard today," she said.
"I've heard a lot of positive statements. I acknowledge it's a lot of work.
"But in 37 years the issues don't seem to have changed."
The evidence on Friday also came in the context of another report released this year into the deaths of 57 defence personnel.
It found mental health to be the most common factor in those deaths but that relationship breakdowns were relevant in almost half.
In other evidence on Friday, the commission was given a detailed rundown of the pressures faced by defence force families and the support services available.
Witnesses said extra resources would be welcome across the board and that in specific areas, such as housing and childcare, demand significantly exceeded supply.
There were also issues for families in knowing what support services were available and the limits on services, particularly in respect of remote postings.
The fact that information was generally provided through the defence force member presented a potential barrier to all families getting the help they needed.
This imposed extra stress on families, often leading to the breakdown of relationships, the commission was told.
A final report with recommendations from the royal commission is due to be delivered to the governor-general by June 2024.
The inquiry was set up in 2021 to look at systemic issues and risk factors related to military and veteran suicides.
The hearing will resume on Monday in Adelaide.
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